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| re: I just read that Sondheim wrote screenplays with Tony Perkins | |
| Last Edit: AlanScott 01:51 am EDT 09/02/22 | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 01:50 am EDT 09/02/22 | |
| In reply to: I just read that Sondheim wrote screenplays with Tony Perkins - KingSpeed 04:41 am EDT 09/01/22 | |
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| It's a film fun that I recommend. But I question the accuracy of two things in that wikipedia quote: 1. As far as I can tell, it was either not a financial success or at most an extremely modest one. The wikipedia page for Anthony Perkins from which you quoted offers no source for that statement. Based on the figures published at the time by Variety, I would think it did not recoup on its initial release. And I doubt that later revenue from television showings and video sales made a major difference, although I suppose over time the film might have just about recouped. 2. I would not consider it a neo-noir, and I was pretty surprised to see it described that way. In fairness, I am posting a link to an article on the Film Noir Foundation site in which a case is made that it is a noir. I find the case completely unconvincing. :) If you watch it sometime soon, let us know what you think: noir or not? |
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| Link | The Last of Sheila: Noir or Not? |
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| re: I just read that Sondheim wrote screenplays with Tony Perkins | |
| Posted by: mikem 12:20 pm EDT 09/02/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I just read that Sondheim wrote screenplays with Tony Perkins - AlanScott 01:50 am EDT 09/02/22 | |
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| AlanScott, thank you for the linked article, which was very interesting but I agree completely uncovincing. The author is basically saying the film is noir because it doesn't have a traditional "happy" ending, or at least an ending where justice is served. But there's a lot more to noir than that. | |
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| Noir or Not (Spoiler) | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 11:54 am EDT 09/02/22 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 11:50 am EDT 09/02/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I just read that Sondheim wrote screenplays with Tony Perkins - AlanScott 01:50 am EDT 09/02/22 | |
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| Generally in a noir film the male lead is sort of an anti-hero (like Robert Mitchum, Dick Powell, Fred MacMurray, Dana Andrews, or Humphrey Bogart) who is lured either to destruction or at least into a lot of trouble by a sexy femme fatale (like Gene Tierney, Jane Greer, Barbara Stanwyck, Lauren Bacall, or Claire Trevor). Noir movies were usually filmed in black and white, but notable exceptions are Leave Her to Heaven and Chinatown. James Coburn gets knocked off too early in The Last of Sheila to be considered a noir anti-hero. In addition, Raquel Welch and Dyan Cannon do not really come off as a classic noir temptresses -- neither intentionally lures anyone to his death in Sheila, which is more of a convoluted whodunnit. Just IMO. |
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| re: I just read that Sondheim wrote screenplays with Tony Perkins | |
| Posted by: NewtonUK 09:16 am EDT 09/02/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I just read that Sondheim wrote screenplays with Tony Perkins - AlanScott 01:50 am EDT 09/02/22 | |
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| The lighting alone disqualifies itself for Noir - and its hard to noir in a color film. And its a bit campy as well.Kind of interesting that future director Joel Schumacher was the costume designer. And always a bit sad that Billy Goldenberg wrote the music - not Sondheim. | |
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| re: I just read that Sondheim wrote screenplays with Tony Perkins | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 12:12 pm EDT 09/02/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I just read that Sondheim wrote screenplays with Tony Perkins - NewtonUK 09:16 am EDT 09/02/22 | |
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| For a true noir score, you would need someone like (ideally) Jerry Goldsmith or even Dave Grusin. | |
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